Ivory Coast's Minister of Economy and Finance, Air France and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) signed (16-May-2012) a 'framework partnership agreement', a 'shareholders’ agreement' and articles of establishment to found Air Côte d’Ivoire. Initial capital was set at XOF2.5 billion (USD4.9 million) and will rise in the short term to XOF25 billion (USD48.6 million). Côte d’Ivoire contributed 65% of the initial capital, while 20% was contributed by Air France and 15% by Aérienne de Participation-Côte d’Ivoire, the airline holding company representing AKFED. The carrier has a strategic partnership agreement with Air France and the Aga Khan fund and will also benefit from cooperation with Air Burkina and Air Mali, which are part of the AKFED Group. The three African airlines will cooperate very close together "in order to build an economically viable long-term model” according to the Cote d'Ivoire government. René Décurey has been appointed as the airline’s CEO. The carrier plans to launch regional routes in Jul-2012 followed by domestic routes by the end of 2012. The carrier is presently recruiting flight and cabin crew. [more - original PR - Ministry of Economy and Finance] [more - original PR - France]

Initiative saves lives of vulnerable women and children in the developing world
The Globe and Mail

Published Friday, Jun. 01 2012, 11:27 AM EDT

Last updated Monday, Jun. 04 2012, 3:32 PM EDT

Most people see the birth of a child as something to celebrate. But during a meeting with village leaders in Mali, Canadian Steve Mason learned that the arrival of a newborn in this poor African country can also be a time to mourn.

The community had always accepted that some women would die in childbirth, recalls Mr. Mason, regional CEO for West Africa at the Aga Khan Foundation, a non-profit international agency supporting social development programs in Asia and Africa. He says it was part of the culture that expectant mothers would make plans for their families in case they didn’t survive.

But Mr. Mason sees hope for these women.

“Maternal, newborn and child health is the cornerstone [of our health programming] because if that component is not addressed then there are massive repercussions,” says Mr. Mason. By heading a program focusing on the health of these vulnerable women and children, the Aga Khan Foundation aims to reverse the sobering statistics facing pregnant women and their unborn children in Mali – and in other parts of the developing world as well.

Nine mothers die for every 1,000 live births in Mali, according to the World Health Organization – deaths that can be attributed largely to lack of access to health services. It isn’t just mothers who are at risk; almost 100 of every 1,000 babies born in Mali will die before their first birthday.

The urgent problem of maternal, neonatal and child mortality isn’t unique to Mali. Globally, WHO estimates about 1,000 women die each day from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. WHO’s data on children is even more staggering: each year, 7.6 million children die before the age of five, with about 40 per cent of these deaths occurring in the first four weeks of life.

Rates of maternal, neonatal and child mortality are particularly high in rural communities of the developing world. For this reason, the Aga Khan Foundation Canada established a new $12-million Mother Care and Child Survival (MCCS) program with the support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The program focuses on remote areas in three of the world’s poorest countries: the Mopti region of Mali, Cabo Delgado in Mozambique and the province of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan.

Undertaken through the Government of Canada’s $2.85-billion Muskoka Initiative to address maternal, newborn and child health needs, the program aligns with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The goals include dramatic reductions not only in maternal and child deaths but also in incidences of malaria, HIV/AIDS and hunger – factors that are critical to the health of women and children in developing countries.

Over the next three years, the MCCS program is expected to reach over 300,000 women and close to 200,000 children in Mali, Mozambique and Pakistan. Through the program, field staff work with local health systems to expand access to health care, improve access to health-related communication technologies, and develop community knowledge and capacity that can help women and their families make better health care decisions.

In Mali, Mr. Mason and his team developed a system to bring services to the women, instead of forcing women to travel to larger population centres. Working with communities, they created “rural maternities” – tiny huts where local women are trained in all aspects of childbirth and delivery.

“They are responsible for identifying pregnant women, taking them through all the steps before they give birth, delivering the child and then looking after the health and well-being of the mother and newborn,” says Mr. Mason.

These local women are drawn from the community itself and are paid by the community and local overnment for their work, creating an element of sustainability, says Mr. Mason.

In addition to training new birth attendants, Mr. Mason says that the program also retrains traditional birth attendants, who have historically been a “much maligned” group because some of their birthing practices have been counterproductive to women’s and children’s health.

“I think our approach of retraining traditional birth attendants and putting them in support of these new midwives has given them a new pride and a new role in the community,” says Mr. Mason, regional CEO for West Africa, Aga Khan Foundation

The year before this project launched, 20 women in the three targeted Mopti communities had died in childbirth. In the three years following the creation of the rural maternities, not a single woman died while giving birth.

This novel approach is now being replicated in more than 100 other rural communities in Mali, all located more than five kilometres from the nearest health facilities.

There is a fundamental reason to emphasize maternal, neonatal and child health: these are intrinsic human rights for every woman, girl and child. But the health of individual women and children can also make a difference in their families and communities.

In many cultures, women not only tend to the children and the household, they’re also significant contributors to the family’s finances – and are sometimes the sole breadwinner – through micro-businesses or farming.

Healthy women who survive childbirth can be a strong driver in the development of their families and communities.

The same goes for children. As Mr. Mason says, the first five years of a child’s life are critical to their development over time.

“It’s of utmost importance that young children are in good health and have access to early childhood opportunities,” says Mr. Mason. “The children are the next generation. They’re the people who are going to take the country forward.”

This report was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc. (www.randallanthony.com) in conjunction with the advertising department of The Globe and Mail. Richard Deacon, National Business Development Manager, rdeacon@globeandmail.com.

Reading for Children - From Asia to Africa
Tue, 2012-07-24 01:05 — admin

During a visit to the Aga Khan Foundation USA office, Kathy Bartlett and Caroline Arnold, co-directors of Education for Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva, spoke about the Reading for Children program. They discussed how the program spread from the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia to West Africa and how it exemplifies the Aga Khan Development Network’s approach to sustainable development. This is adapted from that conversation.

The Reading for Children program began in the Kyrgyz Republic with an aim to instill in children a love for books and enthusiasm for reading. It does this in three ways, by:
·increasing access to quality storybooks through mini-libraries;
·encouraging parents and other caregivers to read with their children; and
· nurturing Kyrgyz storytellers and engaging them in the publication of those books.

When Kyrgyzstan became independent of the Soviet Union in 1991, there were no Kyrgyz-language books for children. All books were in Russian. So we at Aga Khan Foundation focused on working with Kyrgyz authors and illustrators to produce story books in the local language in order to help preserve local cultures and make their stories meaningful to new readers.

In 2010, conflict along ethnic lines flared up in the Kyrgyz Republic reflecting deep-seated tensions. So we translated the story books into other local languages in addition to Kyrgyz, and we’ve created new titles that specifically address the issues of diversity and pluralism. Those publication lines will continue with funds from UNICEF. The Kyrgyz government bought thousands of these books and put them in schools across the country. (Earlier this year the U.S. Agency for International Development funded the reprinting of many of the books, described in this June 6 blog.)

In the Kyrgyz Republic, people got really excited about what they saw in children’s reading interest and the use of the mini-libraries. They made visits to the villages and saw the reading program at work. A number of colleagues from other countries said, “We’d like to take that idea and adapt it to our context.” With support from the Marshall Foundation and in collaboration with our rural development colleagues, we received a grant to test the mini-libraries as a pilot effort in India, and in Mali and Tajikistan.

From supporting 56 mini-libraries used by over 16,000 children in the Kyrgyz Republic, the program has spread elsewhere in Asia and to Africa. It is a good example of how communities get excited about an idea, and the process of how Aga Khan Foundation works with communities in choosing their priorities.

Now AKF has arranged funding for mini-libraries in Mali, which has a strong oral literature tradition but low reading capacities among students in primary school. In Mali the mini-libraries are connected to women’s literacy groups, to women’s garden farmers groups, to the local pre-schools. The program has also adapted traditional stories as books for new readers, including The Adventure of Soundjata, a central story in Malian culture.

In Mali the program established two dozen Reading for Children groups based in literacy classes, Early Childhood Development centers and women’s horticulture groups. More than 300 pre-school children and nearly 3,000 primary school children are benefiting from AKF’s activities, along with nearly 60 pre- and primary school teachers. According to program reports, the busiest time for the mini-libraries is July through October, before the rainy season when the crops demand attention.

For more about AKF USA’s work with Education, visit the website’s Education page.

By Sheilla Sezzy, The Citizen Correspondent
Mwanza. The Aga Khan Foundation yesterday began providing free medical services to Mwanza residents in a ‘life saving drive’ that targets to benefit over 1,500 people.

Working in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the exercise offers services to patients who cannot afford the high cost of treatment in private hospitals.

The free treatment, according to Mr Karim Jamal, the chairman of the Aga Khan Foundation in Mwanza, will focus on both diagnosis and treatment of periodic and chronic diseases using modern equipment and a team of qualified doctors. “There are specific diseases that we will deal with in this two-day exercise.

Those who are yet to be cured, the process is underway to enable them to access treatment in hospitals which charge fairly,” he said.

Mr Jamal urged patients who would need intensive care to apply to the Aga Khan Board, which will assist them to get free services elsewhere.

He said the exercise would be progressive and will cover all regions after the Mwanza exercise.
“We have enough medicines for anyone who comes for this service. People are free to visit the centre and will be well treated,” he added.

Patients suffering diabetes pose a major challenge to the exercise, according to Mr Jamal. because “most of them visit hospitals when they are in a critical condition after seeking treatment from local healers.
When we fail to treat such patients, we advise them to seek proper treatment at the Bugando Referral Hospital,” he explained.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commissioned the 3.5MW Nyagak hydropower station in Paidha, Zombo District. The occasion officially marks the onset of 24hour electricity supply to West Nile sub-region.

Developed by the West Nile Rural Electrification Company Ltd. (WENRECo) with the financial support from the World Bank and the German Government through its development bank, KfW, the Nyagak hydropower plant will be the principal source of power generation, substantially replacing thermal generation.

WENRECo, a subsidiary of Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), was awarded a 20 year licence to generate and provide electricity in the West Nile region in April 2003.

IPS is the infrastructure and industrial development arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Mahmood Ahmed, the AKDN Resident Representative in Uganda observed, “This is the result of close collaboration of development partners to overcome the challenges of providing clean, reliable and affordable electricity to rural populations and look forward to more rural electrification.”

WENRECo will therefore now, and in the immediate future, focus on increasing and extending access while improving the reliability of the grid.

“We expect that increased access to electricity will not only accelerate the economic growth of the West Nile region, but will also improve the quality of life for the people in the region by providing light for students to study by; refrigeration for vaccinations, access to clean water and new prospects for businesses and job creation,” said Nizar Juma, the Chairman of IPS.

Duve, Director of KfW Development Bank, explained: “KfW will continue to promote the West Nile Energy Sector with funding from Germany and the EU. We will support the Government of Uganda in extending distribution to Maracha, Koboko, Oraba, Pakwach, Yumbe and beyond. We will enable WENRECo to connect up to 6000 households with prepaid metres. In addition, KfW on behalf of the German Government is supporting the Government of Uganda in developing a second hydro power plant on the Nyagak river (Nyagak III, 4.4 MW) to ensure that West Nile’s increasing demand for electricity will be supplied by reliable, clean energy.”

Observing that the German Government has committed overall funding of around US$40m for the West Nile energy sector, the Charge d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Uganda, Joachim Düster, further commented:

“Today, we can all be proud that thanks to the joint efforts by the Government of Uganda, the Government of Germany through KfW, and the Aga Khan Development Network through IPS and WENRECO, the people and businesses along the transmission lines in West Nile have electricity”.

The West Nile Rural Electrification project was the first African project to qualify for carbon financing under the World Bank’s Prototype Carbon Fund.

Visionary Africa : ART at WORK
An itinerant platform in Africa
Kampala is the last city of this project. The exhibition is proposed for Sept. 19th - 14th Oct. 2012 at the Kampala Railway Station Gardens. This opportune timing encompasses other cultural events: the Bayimba Festival Sept 21st - 23rd, KLA ART 012 Oct. 7th - 14th, and the Uganda Jubilee celebrations of October 9th. The project will be realized in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Kampala City Authority Council, Bayimba Cultural Foundation, and Makarere University; the generous support of the European Commission; and the valuable collaboration of the Aga Khan Development Network and ArchiAfrika.

It was funded by the French Foreign Affairs Ministry and organised by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for the crossborder regions of Afghanistan (Badakhstan), Pakistan (Chitral) and Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakhshan).

The financial commitment for this project was at least 2 million euros for a duration of four years (2012-2016). Health is one of France’s five priority sectors for development aid, commitment of the G8 countries and a pillar of the Millenium Development Goals, a statement issued said. France is highly committed to supporting children’s and women’s access to health in Pakistan, the region, and around the world, it added.

This crossborder project would enhance the capacity of health professionals and health facilities to plan and deliver essential maternal, neonatal and child health activities, as well as social mobilisation intended to increase knowledge and responsiveness of the communities on nutrition and other essential medical issues. The overall goal of the project aims at facilitating crossborder collaboration through systematic sharing of resources between the three countries and disseminating evidence of best practice in the delivery and assessment of essential health interventions. pr

New African start-up Air Cote d’Ivoire has announced its initial network plans after the Abidjan-based carrier took delivery of its first aircraft earlier this month.

The new carrier, a joint venture between the government of the Ivory Coast, Air France and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development says it plans to initially start operations from the end of October, at the start of the Northern Winter schedules.

The airline was originally planning to launch operations on regional routes in July 2012 before adding domestic links later in the year.

However, a delay in the pre-launch phase has meant that its first aircraft, an Airbus A319 leased from shareholder Air France, only arrived in Abidjan earlier this month.

This will be used for a period of crew training ahead of the inauguration of scheduled services next month.

In a presentation to the local market, Air Cote d’Ivoire has confirmed it will look to serve an initial seven international destinations comprising Accra, Ghana; Bamako, Mali; Conakry, Guinea; Cotonou, Benin; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This will be supplemented by a domestic network covering Bouna, Bouaké, Bondoukou, Korhogo, Man, Odienné, San Pedro and Yamassoukoro.

Air Cote d’Ivoire was officially established in May this year after Air France, a strategic partner with the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and the economic development agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) signed a partnership framework agreement and a shareholders agreement for the creation of the airline.

The company is 65 per cent owned by the State of the Ivory Coast and 35 per cent by the Strategic Partner made up of Air France Finance (20 per cent) and Aérienne de Participation-Côte d’Ivoire (15 per cent), the airline holding company covered by Ivorian law and representing the AKFED.

It was initially formed with a capital investment of CFAF 2.5 billion, rising to CFAF 25 billion in the short-term.

Speaking at the time of the incorporation of the airline, general Abdoulaye Coulibaly, chairman of the steering committee said: “The president Alassane Ouattara has informed me a few months ago that the Ivorian people are eagerly awaiting the setting up of this airline.

“I am delighted and I think that thanks to Air Côte d’Ivoire, our country will regain its place as an airline in West Africa.

“I remain convinced that we have just created a viable and sustainable airline, and that especially at the outset, we will benefit from cooperation with Air Burkina and Air Mali from the AKFED Group, our partner.”

The Coastal Rural Support Programme in Tanzania, or CRSP(T), is a multi-input area development programme of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). In collaboration with the government of Tanzania, under its MKUKUTA poverty alleviation programme, CRSP(T) takes a market development approach to support rural livelihoods and improve the quality of life through increased rural income.

The programme's overall goal is to improve the quality of life and social well-being of target communities in Lindi and Mtwara regions through sustainable socio-economic interventions in food security, income generation, health and education.The programme’s overall goal is to improve the quality of life and social well-being of target communities in Lindi and Mtwara regions through sustainable socio-economic interventions in food security, income generation, health and education. It works to build the capacity of local government staff, especially district agricultural officers and extension workers, to create sustainable systems for agricultural improvement in the regions. CRSP(T) builds upon the experiences and lessons learned from the Foundation’s programmes in Kenya and Mozambique as well as other AKDN rural support programmes in Asia and Africa.

ISLAMABAD - The French Ambassador to Pakistan, Philippe Thiébaud, closed the Regional Health Programme Planning Workshop held in Islamabad funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for the cross-border regions of Afghanistan (Badakhstan), Pakistan (Chitral) and Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakhshan).

The financial commitment for this project amounts up to 2 millions Euros for a duration of 4 years (2012-2016).
Health is one of France’s five priority sectors for development aid, as well as commitment of the G8 countries and a pillar of the Millenium Development goals. In that regard, France is highly committed to supporting children’s and women’s access to health in Pakistan, the region, and around the world.
This cross-border project will enhance the capacity of health professionals and health facilities to plan and deliver essential maternal, neonatal and child health activities, as well as social mobilization intended to increase knowledge and responsiveness of the communities on nutrition and other essential medical issues.
The overall goal of the project aims at facilitating cross-border collaboration through systematic sharing of resources between the three countries and disseminating evidence of best-practice in the delivery and assessment of essential health interventions.

AKF one of the collaboraters to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for children in Mali

In Mali, children are everyone's businessThe business community in Mali collaborates to reinforce community and government efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for children

Excerpt:

It is in this context that a group of well-known companies in Mali, representing key industry sectors of the economy, have partnered with UNICEF, Save the Children and the Aga Khan Foundation to support the Government's efforts to achieve the Millenium Development Goals for children. The initiative, the Private Sector Platform for Children, will be launched in 2012. It has the aim of increasing the positive impact of companies' core activities on children's lives in Mali.

Construction is expected to commence shortly, and to be completed in just over two years. The project was financed on a limited recourse basis with 80% of the funding provided by lenders including the International Finance Corporation, European development finance institutions led by Proparco and BOAD, the West African development bank. The majority of the equity funds will be contributed by Globeleq and the remainder by its partner in the project, IPS (West Africa), a company majority owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank Group will be providing equity insurance for Globeleq's investment.

"There has been excellent co-operation from all involved in both the private and public sectors to achieve financial close. Securing this milestone from the lenders, contractors and key participants, including the Government of Cote d'Ivoire, indicates their confidence in Globeleq, the stakeholders and the excellent operating record of the Azito facility," Globeleq's CEO, Mikael Karlsson observed. "This additional generation will provide much needed energy, a key driver in the development of the local economy and improvement in living standards of the people of Cote d'Ivoire."

The new technology to be installed at the 427 MW plant will not need to use any additional fuel and therefore will not create any further carbon emissions. Once operational, the additional electricity will be sold to the privately owned electricity company, CIE through a 20 year concession, making it one of the most affordable and efficient thermal generation facilities in the country.

Paul Kunert, Globeleq's Head of Business Development for Africa & Asia commented: "Azito already has an exceptionally dedicated and skilled operations and maintenance team. Earlier this year we appointed a construction manager to oversee the project through to completion. He is already engaging with the local supply chain and the EPC contractor to ensure that local people will have the best opportunities for recruitment and selection of suppliers." It is expected that more than 1,000 jobs will be created during construction.

About Globeleq Generation Limited
Globeleq, an Actis portfolio company, is an experienced operating power company, actively developing energy solutions for the emerging markets of Africa, the Americas. The company develops economically sustainable projects that support the continued development of the electric power sector in these regions. For more information go to www.globeleq.com

AKF in collaboration with Cargill in support of educational initiatives for farmers in Mozambique

Cargill Invests in the Next Generation of Farmers in Mozambique

Cargill has announced a U.S. $1.35 million, three-year partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to provide support for the Bilibiza Agriculture Institute (IABil) in order to enhance and expand educational possibilities for farmers in northern Mozambique

AKDN embarks on wellness plan for staff of its institutions
Sunday, 25 November 2012 11:19

By Abela Msikula
The Citizen Correspondent
Dar es Salaam. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has offered intensive training to workers of its institutions to equip them with knowledge and skills for implementing wellness programmes.The programme manager of AKDN, Mr Joshua Ongwae, said the network valued the critical role that its employees played, and that is why it viewed their health as a priority.

“If employees are healthy, they become more productive and they offer better services. It is against this background that the AKDN has initiated a wellness programme to address the impact of HIV/Aids and other illnesses,” he said.
He explained that the AKDN’s workplace wellness programme encouraged employees to take steps to prevent the onset or worsening of a health condition, combat unhealthy behaviours and habits as well as promote adoption of healthy lifestyles.

The programme also addresses financial management practices in order to deal with the problem of ill-health at workplaces. Mr Ongwae added: “The AKDN recognises that our world is affected by communicable and non-communicable diseases through the loss of skills and experienced workers and how it affects productivity.” Giving certificates to participants, the management and programmes liaison officer, Mr Navroz Lakhani, said apart from social and financial matters, the AKDN also deals with economic issues.

“We have introduced village community bank (Vicoba) services in many areas so that people can benefit from their money through accumulation… we have also helped more than 50 farmers in southern Tanzania by supplying them with seeds and training them in modern farming,” he added.

The AKDN Quality of Life Assessment Programme brochure encompasses the programme’s core concepts, methodology, the assessment framework, domains and indicators and key principles.

The overall goal of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is the improvement of Quality of Life (QoL) in the areas where its member institutions work. AKDN’s vision and strategies encompass an improvement in material standards of living, health and education, as well as a set of values and norms in the organisation of society which include pluralism and cultural tolerance, gender and social equity, civil society organisation and good governance. AKDN therefore has a holistic view of what constitutes progress that goes beyond material benefits or only poverty alleviation, and which encompasses a more rounded view of human experience and aspirations.

In 2007, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) initiated Quality of Life (QoL) assessments in geographical areas where it undertakes multi-input area development programmes. The QoL initiative differs from conventional monitoring and evaluation practice, which is usually project- or sector-based, rather than trying to understand changes in people’s lives overall. QoL Assessments are carried out periodically (every 3-5 years) at a sub-national level in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Mali and Tanzania.

The AKDN takes a long-term perspective, usually working in countries over decades, and so these assessments are designed to provide an overview of how people’s lives are changing over time. The main aim is to analyse and adjust AKDN’s interventions in the light of the findings.

Globeleq started construction for the 139 MW expansion of its existing Azito gas-fired power plant near Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The final nominal capacity of the plant will be 420 MW, making it one of the largest and the most efficient thermal power plants in Cote d'Ivoire.

Construction should be completed during early 2015. The project was financed on a limited recourse basis with 80 percent of the expansion funding provided by lenders including the International Finance Corp., European development finance institutions led by Proparco and BOAD.

The majority of the equity funds will be contributed by Globeleq, which is solely owned by Actis (the pan-emerging markets private equity firm), with the remaining funds provided by its project partner, IPS (West Africa), a company majority-owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank Group, is providing insurance cover for some aspects of Globeleq's investment.

Once operational, the additional electricity will be sold to the Cote d'Ivoire, acting through CI Energies, under a 20-year concession. Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co Ltd is the EPC contractor and will design, build and commission the expansion on a turnkey basis. During the peak of construction, over 1,000 jobs will be created, with an emphasis on local resourcing.

Globeleq is an experienced operating power company, actively developing energy solutions for the emerging markets of Africa and the Americas. The company develops economically sustainable projects that support the continued development of the electric power sector in these regions. Globeleq is solely owned by Actis, the pan-emerging markets private equity firm.

Aga Khan donates
He made the remarks following a donation of four sit-toilet pans by the Aga Khan Foundation and Shia Imami Ismaili Community of Uganda to Wakiso Health Centre IV and Mende Health centre III on Saturday.

The donation came after a weekend health camp focusing on the treatment of childhood infections, ante-natal care done by 30 volunteers from the Ismaili Community and the UK International Emergency Trauma Register that treated close to 1,500 patients

The foundation is currently carrying out several renovation projects in many historical sites around old Fatimid Cairo, like restoring the crumbling city wall built by King Saladin, and has also initiated a private micro-investment project that supports craftsmen and women in old Cairo with technical and financial facilities. The foundation started with the historic district Al-Darb Al-Ahmar in Old Cairo, where it provided funding and rehabilitation for a number of workshops that produce traditional handcrafts like leather cushions, steel lamps and many others.

The latest achievement of the Aga Khan Foundation in Egypt is the establishment of a car park next to Al-Azhar Park. All construction costs, including workers’ salaries, were paid by the foundation.

Learning about learning: What affects children’s learning in Sindh, Pakistan?

Recently, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) released a publication summarizing and reflecting upon major research studies carried out alongside AKF’s education initiatives in ten countries (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, and Portugal). For each study, the publication provides a brief introduction to the programme, an overview of the study design, and a summary of key findings – especially in terms of children’s learning. The report, authored by Sheridan Bartlett, is entitled Learning about Learning: Reflections on Studies from 10 Countries and can be found among AKF’s publications on the AKDN website. (Another related publication, also authored by Sheridan Bartlett, was released in 2010, entitled Improving Learning Achievement in Early Primary in Low-Income Countries: A Review of the Research.)

Jubilee Life wins 'Putting The Consumers First' award
March 23, 2013 RECORDER REPORT 1 Comments Jubilee Life, one of the fastest growing life insurance companies in Pakistan, won the "Putting the Consumers First" award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the 7th National Awards ceremony organised by HelpLine Trust at a local hotel in Karachi.

The event was organised to mark World's Consumer Rights Day to realize and promote the rights of consumers, and to demand that these rights be respected and implemented to protect consumers from market abuses and social injustices, which undermine them.

The award was presented to Zahid Barki, General Manager - Customer Services, Jubilee Life by Hamid Maker, Founder of HelpLine Trust. Jubilee Life was awarded the honour for its outstanding performance in health, safety & environmental responsibility, stakeholder relations, social contributions, economic responsibility, and employee welfare. The award represents the jury's acclaim for Jubilee Life's commitment to consumer protection and its efforts for sustainable responsible business in the country. "We are so proud of this achievement because we were able to showcase our company's value for 'Corporate Social Responsibility' towards Pakistani community," said Barki. "Jubilee Life understands that we have a responsibility towards everyone in our society, be it environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders, and all other members of the public sphere and thus actively contributes towards the uplift and welfare of the society," he added. The company is also a pioneer in Micro Insurance in the country for the underprivileged class through which Jubilee Life has gone beyond business in CSR and ensures that its CSR activities benefit the consumers as well. Jubilee Insurance is a global brand of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) that offers diverse insurance solutions (life, health and general) in the Asian and East African markets.-PR

Ugandans are tossing to the entry of a new telecom operator in the market. Smart Telecom Uganda, which was launched on March 17, is operated by Industrial Promotional Services, a subsidiary of the Aga Khan Fund for Development (AKFED).

The new telecom company enters a market dominated by old boys MTN and Airtel but which over the years has proved to be a difficult one for new comers. The development comes only weeks after reports emerged that French company Orange Telecom was looking for a buyer, and barely a year after Warid Telecom was bought off by Airtel following a difficult spell in the market.

However, Lutaf Kassam, the IPS managing director, was positive that Smart Telecom is here to say. “We are looking forward to many years of building on the investments that sister organizations have been making across Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda for more than 100 years,” he said in a statement. He suggested that IPS would leverage its “deep knowledge and experience” in the telecom industry as the majority shareholder of Roshan, Afghanistain’s leading total communications provider, as a 40% stakeholder in TCell in Tajikistan and as the largest investor in SEACOM submarine cable venture in East Africa, to be a top player in the Ugandan market.

He added that Timeturns, IPS’s partner in Smart Telecom, brings to the partnership an established track record of starting telecommunications companies in Nepal and Cambodia and building them leading market players. Given the network’s financial muscle, MTN and Airtel can only expect to be given a good run for their money.

Already, the group operates the NTV and Daily Monitor, Diamond Trust Bank, Jubilee Insurance and is of course the lead investor in the $860-million Bujagali Hydro Power Project, which was launched two years ago. Indeed, AKFED operates as a network of financially strong affiliates with more than 90 separate project companies whose total revenue totaled $ 2.3 billion in 2010.

The Group is active in 16 countries, which include; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the DR Congo, India and Ivory Coast. The others are; Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania as well as Uganda. Using Uganda as a launch pad, the Group sees itself making inroads into the virgin regional telecom market with a focus on innovation and excellent customer service. If Ugandans will get the quality services they have been longing for is what remains to be seen.

Arly Holding, a Swiss corporation controlled by the Aga Khan , has made a tender offer of EUR 0.50 per share of Meridiana. The proposal, which comes from a company in the same group , seeks the purchase of shares in the hands of airline employees and excludes other hand, the shares already held by the same company ( 2.28% ) . Prince Aga Khan already owned , directly and indirectly , 84 , 70 % of the capital of Meridian and the offer has therefore subject to more than 6 million ordinary shares of Meridiana SpA, equal to 13.02% of capital has therefore a value total of approximately € 6 million .

Meridiana is the holding company that controls the Olbia airport ( via Geasar ) and 100% of Meridiana Fly , the operating company that already in May last year was the subject of a takeover bid at Piazza Affari once delisted . The purchase by Arly allow employees to not be penalized from Service of the value related to the delisting .

Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority’s dictatorial withdrawal of AOC’s for airlines flying international routes has now claimed a second victim as Air Uganda has announced the indefinite suspension of operations with immediate effect. This affirms earlier suspicion that the regulators with their actions, hiding behind misleading claims they were acting in the interest of aviation safety, are destroying aviation as we know it in Uganda. In fact new allegations are now emerging that certain individuals could have developed an interest in re-launching the defunct Uganda Airlines which is now seen as a major opportunity to ‘eat big’ should those keen on this white elephant project succeed to milk government and the Ugandan taxpayers of the tens if not hundreds of millions of US Dollars it would take to establish such an airline in this day and age.

Meridiana Africa Airlines (Uganda) Limited, which trades as Air Uganda, was the country’s only jet airline serving international routes, flying from Entebbe to Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Mogadishu, Bujumbura and Kigali. Owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development was Air Uganda, until it received the ill-conceived directive from the UCAA to surrender their AOC, operating three CRJ200 jets and was Entebbe International Airport’s number one airline in terms of daily flight numbers.

All 231 staff are now bound to stare at an uncertain future, possibly facing layoffs, as in spite of initial assurances, empty assurances as it turned out, by the UCAA to process the renewal application for an AOC expeditiously and with all due haste, this turned out to have become a game of bureaucratic ping pong. The regulators in fact are showing no sense of urgency, enjoying their weekends and regular working hours instead of working flat out to resolve this issue, which was after all caused by their imminent failure of an ICAO audit, where they only escaped being cited by pulling all AOC’s valid for international routes.

Air Uganda’s CEO Cornwell Muleya, issued the following statement to put the record straight, and while he of course cannot accuse the UCAA of misleading the public, this is certainly the impression the public now has, no matter what utterances to the contrary the regulator’s mouthpieces now make:

Start quote:

Announcement from Air Uganda – Indefinite Suspension of Operations

1. Air Uganda was started at the request of the Government of Uganda in 2007 and has a staff complement of 231, the vast majority of whom are Ugandan. Employees in other Eastern African countries and destination cities are drawn from the local labor pool. Air Uganda’s normal operations are from Entebbe as its home base to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Bujumbura, Kigali, Mogadishu, Kilimanjaro, Mombasa and Juba. Since inception, Air Uganda has flown over three quarters of a million passengers, strengthening ties within Eastern Africa and providing direct access for Ugandans to countries in the region, making Entebbe into an aviation hub. Air Uganda has paid over US$23.5 million in fees and taxes to the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), invested US$4 million in staff training, contributed over US$10 million in employment taxes, and injects over US$15 million per annum directly into the Ugandan economy.

2. Air Uganda prides itself on its excellent safety record. It is certified by the aviation industry’s hallmark IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program which is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline with specific reference to passenger safety. Air Uganda was IOSA certified after its first audit in 2011 and has had its certificate renewed for a further two years up to 2015. IATA is the International Air Transport Association, and its 240 voluntary members account for 84% of global air traffic. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership. Air Uganda is a member of IATA.

3. An audit of the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority’s policies and procedures was conducted between 11th and 17th June, 2014 by the international regulator ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) based in Montreal. Such audits are aimed at assessing the CAA’s capacities rather than the airlines that operate under its supervision. It is now apparent that the audit revealed shortcomings in the CAA’s oversight and regulatory capacities, consequently impacting the CAA’s ability to award Air Operators Certificates. The Ugandan CAA regrettably opted on 17th June to withdraw, without consulting the airlines affected, Air Operator’s Certificates (AOC) for all international commercial air operators registered in the country. Air Uganda, which is the only scheduled passenger airline affected, has inevitably suffered the greatest damage. Each carrier was requested to submit a fresh application for an AOC, and in the meantime was required to cease operations, thus forced to incur massive financial losses on a daily basis and suffer reputational damage.

4. Air Uganda has been working with the Ugandan CAA since 17th June, 2014 to implement revised procedures at the CAA required by ICAO and had expected its AOC to be reinstated in a timely and expeditious manner. Unfortunately, 31 days have elapsed and recertification is still several weeks away.

5. The result of this prolonged period of grounding has in turn affected key contracts at Air Uganda. In particular, covenants in the aircraft lease agreements require that the aircraft can remain on lease to Air Uganda only as long as the airline continues flying. The extended period of the aircraft remaining grounded has thus, sadly, triggered these covenants and Air Uganda is now contractually obligated to return the aircraft to the Lessors’ chosen facility abroad. The prolonged inability to generate any revenues has necessitated the airline’s Board of Directors to suspend indefinitely Air Uganda’s operations. This will unfortunately adversely impact key stakeholders, including the airline’s workforce. This is all the more regrettable, as Air Uganda, after its seven years of operation, was actively looking at upgrading and enhancing all aspects of its operation.

6. Air Uganda is extremely grateful for the patronage and support of its customers and highly regrets the frustration and inevitable inconvenience suffered since the grounding. Air Uganda assures the public that it did everything under its control in the most difficult of circumstances to minimize the impact on its clientele.

Cornwell Muleya
Chief Executive Officer
Air Uganda
July 18th, 2014

End quote

As a result of the Uganda Civil Aviation action, were Air Uganda flights removed from the electronic booking and reservations systems, were all interline and code share agreements suspended, was membership of Air Uganda in AFRAA and IATA suspended and through insinuations, if not outright intended smears the reputations of the airline left in tatters. Said one aviator, despite the late hour: “Playing around by raising question on Air Uganda’s safe operations, after all they are IOSA certified, is almost criminal. Those who made such suggestions hopefully will face the consequences when they are sued, in an individual and institutional capacity, for the damage they caused with their attempted character assassination. I personally feel there is not one Iota of truth in such allegations and the attempt to whitewash the CAA action has failed. They may dupe the public who perhaps do not understand the technicalities behind all of this but us aviators, they cannot fool. They are plain wrong and thankfully someone keeps pointing this out bringing the truth to light.”

While one CAA mouthpiece was technically right to point out that it is by law the AOC which matters and not the IATA Operational Safety Audit which Air Uganda passed with flying colours, that is just another smokescreen put up behind which the regulators are now trying to hide. Uganda’s reputation in the aviation world has taken a huge hit and the fact that regulatory staff in the region are entirely critical of the UCAA’s actions, in private that is as in public they are preferring not to comment on the follies of a fellow regulator, again speaks for itself, a damning indictment of those responsible in Entebbe for this travesty of aviation administration.

Aviators and aviation pundits are united in their assessment that the fault lies squarely with the UCAA and that no amount of mitigating words can alter the fact that they failed the aviation industry in Uganda, prompting calls for “tabula rasa” at the authority to throw out arrogance, incompetence and ignorance, as one aviation source put it to this correspondent earlier in the week.

The Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan Development Network (AGDN) have been working in Afghanistan for nearly two decades now.

Talking exclusively to ANI, Dr. Matt Reed, CEO, Agha Khan Foundation, India said, "India's contribution to Afghanistan's development through the AGDN have been substantial. We have a substantial number of Indians that have worked for us in Afghanistan, bringing their knowledge from whole variety of sectors, ranging from world development health care, education, financial services, mobile telephony and other sectors".

The engagement started in 1995, during Afghanistan's civil war. The foundation had distributed aide from Tajikistan through AKDN's affiliate.

Today it has channeled roughly about $700 million of assistance to Afghanistan and has benefited more than 2.5 million people.

The perennial challenge of Aga Khan Foundation is doing high quality work with local partners and one of the things that the foundation is very rigid on is building the capacity of local Afghans to do this work. Thus, they take a lot of care to choose their partners in Afghanistan and work very closely with them.

The foundation is not only working with a variety of partners but also the Indian government and the World Bank to deliver development assistance at the village level.

In those areas it is active in building schools helping the local teachers to learn student-oriented techniques.

"The Government of India has actually contributed financially to some of the programmes that we are operating in Afghanistan, most notably in and around the restoration of cultural monuments and cultural activities. Thus, the government has supported the restoration of the office of Ministry Of Foreign Affairs which is the historic building in Kabul", added Dr Reed.

The active participation of AGDN has been in reducing maternal mortality, child morality and literacy rates going up.

Dr Reed believes that India has the sustainability of doing work over decades in Afghanistan and it will be a long lasting one.

"We have sent variety of technical support to our teams working in Afghanistan, and teams in Afghanistan including Afghanis have come and trained in India from our staff. For example, we have a support called Aga Khan World support programme. They are primarily based in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and the work they do is natural resource management. Water shed management, check dams working with community organizations on how to govern water resources and another resources as well as agricultural work, things like rain water harvesting, safe water those kinds of things," Dr Reed further added.

Aga Khan Foundation has actively participated in a number of sectors. It has taken into its ambit areas like agricultural productivity, natural resource management especially building community development councils, building village organization, building Afghanistan's civil society, getting participatory governance between local Afghan people and district officials, regional officials.

Air Burkina (2J, Ouagadougou) is to transition into an all-Embraer operation with its current McDonnell Douglas and Bombardier machinery set to be phased out of service.

Sources in West Africa inform ch-aviation that the Burkinabe carrier took delivery of its first EMB-170, XT-ABS (cn 17000027), at a ceremony held in Ouagadougou last week. The twinjet, which replaces an MD-87 XT-ABD (msn 49839), began revenue flights on January 18. The carrier's other MD-87, XT-ABC (msn 49834), is currently in storage in Olbia, Sardinia.

A second EMB-170 aircraft, sister-ship XT-ABT (cn 17000023), is to be delivered in mid-March 2015 and will replace CRJ-200 TZ-RCA (cn 7392).

One of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development's (AKFED) various African airline investments, Air Burkina serves Bobo Dioulasso locally as well as Abidjan, Accra, Bamako, Cotonou, Dakar, Niamey, and Lomé regionally.

The Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. has refreshed its website to make it easier for you to engage with us and learn about our work. We may look different, but we’re still the same organization dedicated to partnering with communities to build better futures together. Check out the new website here and let us know what you think! Read more about the changes here.

New Aga Khan Foundation Annual Report Highlights Pursuit of Good Governance Together

The new 2014 Annual Report of the Aga Khan Foundation in the United States focuses on the theme “In Pursuit of Good Governance Together.” The report presents four engaging stories that show how the Foundation works with communities to improve their quality of life. Companion infographics in each story underscore the impact. Read the new report, downloadable here.

Aga Khan Foundation initiated a pilot program for breed improvement in Badakhshan, Afghanistan.

New Life in Afghanistan

Spring means new life for the Multi-Input Area Development Global Development Alliance (MIAD GDA) in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Surveys by program staff with Aga Khan Foundation paved the way for testing livestock improvement and in 2014 AKF initiated a pilot program for breed improvement, mainly of cattle. See how that paid off this spring by reading the blog here.

New Long-term Investment in the University of Central Asia

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has signed an agreement to finance the construction of a campus of the University of Central Asia in Tajikistan. OPIC will lend $30 million, alongside $7.5 million from the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A., to fund construction of academic facilities, a laboratory building, student residencies, and a student life building. The University is setting a new standard of quality education in Central Asia, and building a Khorog campus is an important step toward that goal. This is OPIC’s second collaboration with the Aga Khan Development Network, following a 2013 deal to expand the Aga Khan University Hospital in Pakistan.

Integrated Development Must be Backed by Evidence

It is up to development organizations to advocate for an integrated approach, and the effort must be backed by evidence. Panelists agreed on this approach during a first-ever international development discussion organized by a new coalition known as Locus: The Point of International Development. The June 23 event, held in Washington, D.C., included Aga Khan Foundation Multi-Input Area Development program manager Elizabeth Grant, along with speakers from Pact, FHI 360 and. To read more visit the blog here.

he extraordinary growth that NGOs have experienced in recent years in their numbers, their outreach and their resources is unprecedented even by Pakistani standards. The number of active NGOs in the country is, at the very least, anywhere between 100,000 to 150,000, investigations by the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP), a certification organisation for NGOs and charity institutions, reveal. By this count, there is at least one NGO for every 2,000 people. Way back in 2001, a Civil Society Index put together by the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan, in coordination with Civicus, an international alliance of civil society groups, put the number of “active and registered NGOs in Pakistan” at “around 10,000 to 12,000”.